Signal system.



B. A. SLATER & M. J'. MCDERMOTT.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

902, 1 1 8i ,d APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 5I 1908. Paltnted Oct 27 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. A. SLATER & M. J. MODBRMOTT. SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.5,1908. i 902, 1 1 8. Patented ont. 2y, 1908.

s SHEETS/ SHEET 2.

B. A. SLATER E M. J. MCDBRMOTT.' SIGNAL SYSTEM.

A APPLICATION FILED MAE1 5, 1 908. 902, 1 18. Patented 0015.27. 1908, 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

To all whom it may concern:

4UNITED sT-Atras PATENT oFFIoE.

BURT A. sLATER AND MICHAEL J. MCDERMOTT, or Borsa, IDAIIo.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

' Appiicmonnled umh 5, 190s. serial No. 419,361.

Be it known that we, BURT A. SLATER and MICHAEL J. MoDERMo'rT, citizens of the United States, residing at Boise, in the county of Adaland State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Systems; and We do declare the following to be ra' full, clear, and exact description of the l invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and-use the same.

Our invention relates to signaling systems and incre especially to a system adapted for use inconnection with railways.

The object of the invention is to prevent head-on or rear-end collisions by signaling the engineers from the stations which they have passed.

. pear asthe specification is read 1n connection Another object of the invention is to notify the engineer of the fact that the statlon agent at the station which he has passed not at nis-post of duty, therefore, making `1t dangerous toproceed without understanding thatth'e track is first clear.

A further object is to enable the station agent to recall any train which has passedA his station, and is still within his jurisdiction,

by signaling the engineer in the cab of the en' vine;

Further objects of the inventionwill apwith the accom anying drawings,'in which y 'Figure'l is a iagramrnatic view ofthe systenu used; Fig". 2 is a diagrammatic view of the cab circuit Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation view of the sivnaling mechanism 5 and Fig. -4 is an enlargedside' elevation view of the switch at the station; .l Fig. 5 is a detail 'side elevation of the rail switch, and Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof.'

, Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 and 2, represent the respective rails upon which" the vehicles are adapted to run.

lConnected to the rail v1 and leading ofi' therefrom is a feedl conductor, 3, which is connected to the battery, B', of the switch,

A and'to a contact, 4, by means of a 'umper wire, 5. Another wire, 6, is connecte to the rail, 1, at one end ,and to a binding ost, 7', on

the switclf, A and from thence't rough an electro-magnet, E, and to the binding post, 8, and thence to the battery, B2, by the wire, 9.

The opposite pole of the battery, B2, is connected to a w1re,"10, connected at one end with one of the line' wires L', and at its oppo-v .apart, as is found most ex site end to arail switch, B5, to be hereinafter described.

The electro-magnet, E, is provided with an armature, E', which normally holds a swinging lever, 11, out of engagement with the contact, 4. This lever-is pivoted upon the base of the switch and is pulled down- Ward under the tension of a spring, 12, and is electrically connected to the binding post, 13, by a jumper wire, 1-1. The binding. post 13 is connected. to the line wire, L.

As both stations are similar, we shall refer to them as station A and A2, and we shall, therefore, only describe the switch at station A and the connections of the line wire at station A2, with the switch apparatus. The line wire, L, leads to andis connected withr the battery B3 and also to the rail switch, B".

The battery, B3, is connected in a like .manner to the electro Inagnet, E2, as is the the wire,'15, which leads fromthe opposite binding post, is connected to the rail, 1. The line wire, L, is connectedl to the binding post, 16, by a wire, 17 in a similar mauner, as at station A and is then run through the switch to the battery B1 and to the rail, 1, by a wire, 18. Leading olf from the line Wire L is a plurality of lead wires, 19, all connected to contact, strips, or blocks, C, which are arranged intermediate the rails, 1

battery BZ, with the electro-magnet, E, and

andl2, at4 approximately 150 or 200 yards edient in practice.

Mounted upon the ca at any suitable point, such as the pilot, we provide a contact brush, 20, which 1s connected by a' copper wire, 21, to a binding post, 22, uponthe -sigy nal box, 23. This binding-pest--has leading from it a wire, 24, which is connected to an electro-magnet, M, controlling an armature, 25, pivoted upon a standard, 26, within a box and firmly he d in raised position by a spiral spring,` 27, which `is attached to the armature atthe rear ofy its pivotal point and to the.

bottom of the casing. The opposite end of the circuit of the electro-magnet, M, is comosed of a conductor, 28, which leadsto the Eindin `plost, 29, and from thenceto a' metal part cfg e engine, preferably the axle, so as Ato electrically "communicate with .the rails.

When the electro-magnet, M, is energized as will be hereinafter described, the armature, 25., is attractedso as to release from its hook end, 30, thecontact lever, 31, pivoted -to the top 'ofthe casing, and connected in series by a wire, 32, with the batteries, B7. I The oppositelines of the batteries, B7, lead to a pi vot block, 33, by means of a wire, 34.` To this pivot block isconnected the armature, 35, of the electro-magnet, E4, the winding thereof being connected to the contact piece, 36,- hy a wire, 37. The contact lever, 31, is actuated when released by a spiral spring, 38,

to contact with a standard, 39, connected to the electro-magnet, E4, by a wire, 40. It

' will Abe seen therefore that when the armature, 25, is attracted the lever, 31, is releasedvand completes a local ringing circuit inzthe ca'b of the engine 'over the following path: battery B7, 32, 31, 39, 40, E4, 37, 36, 35, 34, back to battery. As the armature vibrates, it breaks contact with the contactpiece; 36, and is returned to normal in the ordinary manner by the spring7 31. As long vas the contact lever is in engagement with the opposite end 'of the lever is formed with a' cam surface, 44, which projects above the rail, 1, and is held in suchv position by a spiral spring, 45, which is sufficient to resist the pressure of a hand car, but insuiiicient to re-.

sist the weight of passenger or other cars. Adjacent the forward end of the lever we secure to the rail a block, 46, of wood or other suitable insulating. material, and mounted thereon a contact, 47, which is adapted to be engaged by a iiexible spring contact, 48, rigidly carried on the underside of the lever and having electrical connection with the pivot bolt thereof by a wire, 49. l

The contact blocks, 47, of the switches at thestations A and A7, are connected with the wires, 10, so that upon depression of the switch lever, the circuit of therelays, E, E2.

are completed.

At each station we have shown a bell adapted to be operated by the armature, E', but it will be understood that any other form of signal may be used," which will notify the station master that a train has passed andv vthat the switch mechanism shouldbe re.-vv stored to prevent delay t'o thetrain, unless some instructions or conditions prevent its` proceeding. f

Tlavin'g described the mechanical and electrical connections, we will nowproceed with the operation bytracing the` circuits. A train approachinor or passing the stations in the direction of lthe arrow marked X" will operate the switch and bring the contact, 48,

.into engfgement with the block, 47, and.

thus complete a circuit from the pluspole of battery B7'to the rail, the wire 6, contact piece, 7,- relay, E, binding post, 8, back `to batt-ery over the jumper wire, 9. This causes thev magnetization of relay E and consequent attraction of its armature, E', and the release of the lever, 11. The bell is rung at the `station A', and a circuit completed from the battery B over the plus side, over the jumper wire, 5, lever, 11, jumper wire, 14, binding post, 13, line wire, Land to the contact stri s. Should the track be clear through an the station master at station A have no communication to impart to the engineer, he would immediately restore the lever, 11, to its original position, and

thus disconnecting the partially completed circuit just described to the contact strips, C. If, however, there is danger'ahead on the line, or the station master wishes to recall a train for any purpose whatever, he leaves the lever in engagement with the contact, 6, thus completing the circuit to the strip, C. If, now the engine passes over the strip, a current ilows from battery'B/ to the contact strip asv C, as before described, and from thence through the brush, 20, to the binding post, 22, wire, 24, relay, M, wire 28, binding post 29, andf to the wheels of the cab, which bear uV on the railsfl and 2. This completes t e circuit of the relay, M, and its ar-- mature, 25, is therefore attracted to release the contact lever, 31. When this is released the spring, 38, pulls it into engagement with the standard, 39, and completes the local circuit of lthe ringer, E4. The engineer will thus be notified that the train must return to station A for instructions. At the same time the switch, B5, is closed, a momentary current or pulse is sent over the wire L from the battery, B3, through the switch, B5, to the rail, 1, and over the wire, 15, to the relay, E2.

This relay is energized and attracts its armature which lets go the lever of the switch and allows it to contact with the contact, 4. .The circuit is completed over the jumper wire, 9, to the battery, B3. The bell is then rung at station A2, and the circuit of battery, B4; to y the contact switch, C, is thus completed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that no train can pass either one of the stations without notifying the other stations that i-t has passed, and, if so desired, the station master at either station can notify a train going in either direction that the track is not clear, or

that something Vout of the ordinary schedule is being runv on the tracks. The engineer has' noway of ascertaining which station is calling, or in which direction the danger lies, but this may be attended to by simply placing telephone sets at the stations and upon the cabs of the en ines which could be connected with the rai sor with the line Wires so that when the engineer was signaled, hev

would put his telephone set in communica- 'tion with the station and ascertain the diiiculty. It is not thought necessary to illustrate such a' construction, as such devices are well known in the art.

Having thus-fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is;l

'1.yIn-a signaling system, electrically connected stations, track rails,'vehicles traveling there-over, a source of current 'included in circuit with -'a relay, said circuit'being controlled byl the vehicle traveling over the track rails, a second circuit including aA source of. current, means to partially comv plete' said secondary circuit, signals operated at both stations upon completion. of said I first circuit, means carried by the vehicle for completing said second circuit, aloca'l circuit controlled by the secondary circuit, and a signal included in the local circuit.

2. In asignaling system, electrically connected stations, track rails, vehicles traveling `continuously ringing bell circuit controlled by the second circuit, said bell circuit being carried bythe cab.

3. Ina signaling system, electrically connected stations, track rails, vehicles running there-over, a pairof automatic switches at separate stations alongthe line, a primary circuit for each switch, a' secondary circuit for each switch, both including a separate source of current, means inthe primary circuit at both stations to partiallyv complete the-seccndary circuits at both stations simultane-` "ously, means to initially close the primary circuit, saidmeans carried by the vehicles, si nals operated atboth stations upon cometion of said first circuit, contact .strips lincluded in the secondary circuits, brushes carried by the vehicle and included in circuit with a relay vto engage the contact strips to fully complete the seCOndarycirCuit, a continuouslyringingvalarm circuit carried by ythe train and controlled by said rela r.

In testimony whereof we have ereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BURT A. snm-ER.

Witnesses z RUDOLPH y WETTER, M. SMITH.

MICHAEL J MCDERMOTT. 

